Tiredness and pregnant

During pregnancy the female body has to perform a lot. The hormone balance changes, the metabolism suddenly has to supply not only the mother but also the growing child. For the mother, pregnancy is very stressful, so that tiredness is very common.

Especially in the first third of the pregnancy, when the woman’s body has to completely adjust, fatigue occurs very often. In the last part of the pregnancy, exhaustion and tiredness are especially present during physical exertion, as the child has become much larger and heavier and it becomes strenuous for the woman to climb stairs or walk longer distances. During pregnancy the blood pressure usually also drops a little.

This can contribute to symptoms of fatigue. Since the child also feeds on the maternal metabolism, the blood sugar level drops more quickly. This can also cause tiredness.

Usually the fatigue disappears at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy and can increase again towards the end of the pregnancy. It is important that the fatigue is also reduced. The body needs sleep and rest in these moments.

Short breaks or a midday nap can help to relieve the fatigue. In addition, attention should be paid to a healthy and balanced diet. If the fatigue is very pronounced and does not improve even with sufficient sleep and rest, a visit to the doctor is generally recommended. There could also be other causes behind the fatigue.

Tiredness and iron deficiency

Iron deficiency can lead to severe fatigue. This is because iron is very important for blood formation. The red blood cells (erythrocytes), which transport the oxygen in the blood, consist partly of iron.

If the body has too little iron at its disposal, it cannot produce enough red blood cells. This results in anemia. As a result, the oxygen content of the blood is reduced and the organs and tissues of the body are supplied with less oxygen.

However, oxygen is very important for the metabolism of the cells. The lack of oxygen in the brain is noticeable by a distinct tiredness and listlessness. Iron deficiency anemia can be diagnosed by a blood test.

Causes for iron deficiency can be malnutrition or bleeding. Therapeutically, the first step should be to try to compensate for the iron deficiency through a change in diet. If this does not succeed, iron can also be supplied in tablet form.

The blood count should be checked regularly to see whether the treatment is successful. As a rule, fatigue then also improves very quickly, as the red blood cells are again sufficiently supplied with the iron-containing haemoglobin and oxygen transport can again take place more effectively. If you are always tired, you should always think about an iron deficiency.